What to Expect From Bo Xilai’s Trial

8/19/2013 1:01AM

Former Communist Party official Bo Xilai will be tried this Thursday in Shandong province. WSJ’s Jeremy Page tells us to expect a guilty verdict and why the spotlight may turn to Mr. Bo’s wife, Gu Kailai.

This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.

... the ... while I'll in decades will be convinced to stay when ousted common as party chief ally Xilai ... enters court on corruption charges ... I'm Deborah con joining me now is reporter Jeremy Page ... a K and Jeremy EU been covering this ... scandal for a long time now would you say and that's on the verdict is pretty much ... a foregone conclusion that Bush Eli will be convicted ... listening to view amongst legal expats and lawyers in treating people are acting for Mr ball ... the court system here is very tidy control by becoming a spicy ... that is a conviction rate of about ninety eight percent in criminal cases ... and that usually the verdict and sentence is decided in advance behind closed doors ... and so the caucuses health of the trial is just full Elysee errands in this case were really expecting it to last one all maybe two days ... and of course he's being accused of abusing I'm power and taking over three million dollars worth of bribes what type of sentencing if convicted ... aam would go along with those types of charges ... well that's something we will quench or about selling the verdict is ... is is pre much a foregone conclusion as we discussed ... but the sentence of this quite a bit of flexibility that ... I'm walks and his lawyer as saying ... that's ... this being in a recent high-profile case involving the former railways minister who was also accused of corruption ... aam but it will be much larger sums of money ... that he received a suspended death sentence ... which in turn is usually commuted to ... life in prison ... aam and Slim's the boss' wife Gu Kailai who was convicted for them under this British businessman last year she also got a suspended death sentence ... so what is the book was it was the saying is that it's very unlikely you would get anything that you would actually get the death penalty is suspended Datsun specimens the upstate maximum ... but it's quite probable that it could be ... less than that's just a long prison time ... ok and and Christian men stand at his wife Gu Kailai there's been a lot of talk ... on about what her role will be in the trial what only narrow ... on and we do we know she's going to make an appearance on on ... well I missed was lawyers say that it's as they're expecting to provide testimony to prosecute isn't that so for me be the main witness for the for the prosecution ... in the front row last year at the court said that due to take into account that you provided information about ... unspecified stop the crimes ... sushi been reading some corporation that ... I also have the party document that said the D tells the charges dismissed or say very clearly that ... is taking bribes through his wife ... so that the question is ... the real unity with his testimony that supervise was in working full was actually appear in court which is ... it was can happen in Chinese courts frozen unusual steps to cut the women's records ... earnings ... one was was lawyer as other people customers say is that she doesn't appear in court ... he's no current to earn easily be happy about that and the seventh and disrupt proceedings ... and any sense I am about to you know whether or not the two have gained ... on in touch it does appear that there there's a big head ... a a a a a tussle saddened for lack of a better word ... going on between the two on in terms of of both court appearances said ... on any ... insight into perhaps how much contact both have had and if there's in fact now and the Kailai Act camp versus the boss Xilai camp ... was very unlikely to tighten the direct contacts ... they work with detains in March of last year ... and it's ... what's ... the lawyers of the people close to both families says that the cat separately in different facilities since then ... they are in different schools is No and usually ... in green when people are detained or arrested ... aam even if they are a married couple who wouldn't so they wouldn't some of them interact contacts ... and in that situation times but the split between the two families this that this seemed to be ... a real division with that with with in the ball from Ole Miss or six brothers insist is they don't see eye to eye on vacation in the polls ... and some of them really don't get along with the goo family a bit lame can live for this cause problems ... it's ... in the moment on the Khoo family of Barron's competitions that ... I'm their fetuses that stand between birds like for instance that some ballpark walk ... and here is the belief in us ... ok and and just really quickly and that courts at trial will be held in teen aimed at in SAN Dong province which is of a ... long way away from town saying ... I'm any idea why am it was his intent to tribal Xilai dislocation ... we don't exactly why it's in genome but we do know that to cut eyes trials that took place ... in northern Beijing noting store chain in the city cook us a insightful to know that didn't appear have any direct ... connection to the case ... so the thinking is that this is just the way off ... I make use all the details of the risen Savior able to control a situation ... who was in Beijing might be more of a risk that the that that that would attract public attention to them I didn't eat ... protests from us and Mr. Paws support says ... where is in the smaller provincial cities ... of people are less interested in the case ... um there are ... fewer journalists based in those towns owns the local thirteen is ... a very much under the control of the central authorities ... more likely to ... come and to do everything set up by the BOE ... a day but with that I've said this thing to be an honest lot at foreign journalists that ... going to the region including airsoft ... and we will look for it to Jeremy Page reporting from the boss Xilai trial ... for more on that story indebted Des beest dot com and ever con ...